My first month in the Camas gardens have been a delight - like rummaging around a curiosity shop of treasures waiting to be found. I have been getting my bearings and acquainting myself with my new growing space and, apart from pondering the variety of certain over wintering plants, I am getting to grips with it all nicely, as well as making friends with the chickens. At the moment most of the nine lazy beds are tucked up under a healthy load of seaweed and mulch for the winter, and the compost is cooking up nicely. The polytunnels are keeping things relatively warm and we have a healthy abundance of rocket, lettuce and water cress growing nicely in there. New sowings of the first of the seasons brassicas, onions and beets and tomoatoes are in and experiments with hotbeds will begin as soon as we can get the manure down the track! Today also saw some love for the newly established herb garden. With a bucket load of Camas compost, stepping stones and a thick layer of mulch, its gearing up to be a wonder bed for a great collection of culinary and medicinal herbs and flowers...for us and the bees! I am sure that being part of Camas, part of the ongoing evolution of the gardens, the people and projects here will be inspiring, challenging and as this past month has shown, lots of fun. I am excited to see what the spring will hold, but for now I am enjoying the ever changing colours of the ocean, the sound of the chooks as they clean up after my digging and sitting by the fire with coffee and making music with friends.
I know these gardens will be a source of inspiration, education and fun for the people who come to visit us throughout the season, and to make that possible I will need your help! Garden week is a great opportunity to come and spend a week, or weekend, down at Camas and help us out get the garden in gear for the coming season. Jobs might include working on our newly establishing shelter belt of over three hundred trees, working in the woodlands and wild areas, potting up and transplanting in the polytunnel, getting the 9 lazy beds full of yummy produce, making compost tea, hot beds, I could continue! The main thing is that throughout this adventure we are kept well stocked on homemade cakes and tea, and by living and working together there is always plenty of time for a natter and to get to know each other. Also plenty of free time to head off into the hills or take the kayaks out to sea! Contact me if you want more info, or our facebook page and the flyer. I am looking forward to getting to know all the local growers so feel free to pop down the track for a cuppa and a wander around our treasure-trove garden. Abbi x
